Death Report
by wonderwall05
Summary: You sold your soul to the devil Severus, she said and it was so ominous that Snape felt his stomach contract in fear, “ You’re a coward.”


_Death Report_

" Are you afraid to die?" The man sneered looking down at the pitiful girl. She looked up at him and even the scratches and bruises did nothing to hide her beauty. Remarkably she had survived the torture the Death Eaters had inflicted on her and not said a word, screamed yes but never spoke a word.

" Are you ready for death Severus?" She questioned, the life still shining brightly in her eyes.

" I don't planning on dying anytime soon, but your end is more immediate." He said his voice harsh.

" Ah so you aren't." She said smiling up at him. " I suppose the horrors you have committed make you fear what waits you on the other side." She said her voice light but her eyes hard.

" You have no idea what you are talking about!" He hissed, and his fist clenched when she laughed.

" Oh I think I do Severus, I understand." She said her eyes darkening as she spoke the last two words.

" What do you know about anything girl." He said.

" War does not discriminate, we all commit atrocities for what we believe is right." She said and she seemed distant as if reliving past memories.

" I'm sure you've harmed a human before." Snape said rolling his eyes.

" Alecto, Amycus. You never did discover who killed them, I believe they held valuable information, possibly of the hiding place of a certain object highly prized by Voldemort?" She said innocently pretending to examine her nails, which were jagged and bloody.

" Not possible." Snape whispered. Alecto and Amycus' hiding place had been discovered and nearly pulverized but they had found the broken bodies of the brother and sister barely recognizable except for the parts of their faces still intact.

" Macnair." She said her voice containing venom this time. Again Snape was assaulted by memories of another bloody scene, it was an execution that much was clear. They had never found Macnair's head.

" Yaxley, I'm sure Voldemort was disappointed that he didn't get to him first." She said pretending to be guilty. Snape wouldn't call Voldemort's anger disappointment, especially when they hadn't been able to track down Yaxley's killer.

" Travers." The girl whispered angrily her eyes blazing. " That one was for revenge." Snape would have smirked but her expression stopped him. Travers had been responsible for the deaths of Fred and George Weasely. He shuddered as he thought of Travers death; he looked at the girl and wondered how such an innocent person could have done that to someone.

" Montague, Bole, Goyle…." She said pausing for a moment before whispering, "Malfoy." Only as she said that last name did some remorse flit across her face. His head snapped up at that, that kill hadn't been awful, not bloody in the slightest it was almost humane if murder could be called that. Draco Malfoy had been hit with the killing curse, but his face held no anger only great sadness yet there was no shock. Again the killer was never discovered. " It was harder than I thought." She whispered her eyes closed and Snape could tell she was reliving it, like he did. " I knew his reasons for joining Voldemort. I knew it wasn't his free will but he never attempted to change sides and for that he was a threat." Snape watched as her eyes flickered beneath their lids. " I caught him in that small flat he was living in at the moment, he saw me but he didn't even reach for his wand. It was like he knew what was going to happen and like….he wanted it." She choked slightly before clearing her throat and continuing. " I said the regular speech we're supposed to give: Draco Malfoy you have committed yourself to Voldemort and have followed his orders, killing and torturing innocents and for that you must die. He looked me in the eye and he spoke four words that still tear at me, still kill me now: 'Hermione free me please.'

" I didn't believe that speech then. How could I? This was the boy who had teased me, who had been a student with me for six years. How could this happen?" Her voice was anguished and she opened her eyes staring directly into his. " How was any of this right? This war! It was all about power. How could some madman be allowed to transform the boy into a killer? Draco begged me to kill him because that was the only way he could ever be free! Why is Voldemort allowed that freedom to corrupt and spoil people? You're stuck Severus you'll never get out. How can you allow him to do that to you?" She asked her eyes pleading for answers.

" I want to be on the winning side." Snape muttered her words causing him extreme discomfort as he recognized some of his own thoughts. He was once again surprised by her laughter but this time it was cruel, unforgiving completely unlike the girl he remembered. It broke his heart.

" You sold your soul to the devil Severus." She said and it was so ominous that Snape felt his stomach contract in fear. " You're a coward." She said her voice strong and he couldn't deny her words. " Look at me a mere girl standing up to Voldemort and you walk around your tail between your legs." She said and suddenly she stood and he felt unreasonably frightened by her stance.

" I know my cause and I believe it and I fight for it! I will die for my cause before I give in!" She said her voice hard and glare menacing. " You are a poor excuse for a human being. I once saw the good in you, even after Dumbledore's death I knew there could be a reason, I believed that you weren't evil." She laughed bitterly. "You're not evil Severus just afraid. So afraid." Her voice was a mere whisper and she looked into his eyes with pity. " I wish I could give you some of my strength my courage. I wish I could save you." She whispered tears gathering in her eyes. " I wasn't destined for great things." She shook her head and in a moment her hands clutched his hand, he tried to tug it away but it was a death grip he could not escape. " You were meant for something more than standing in the shadow of an evil man. You are not evil Severus, you are only wrong." She shook her head looking down at their hands before staring back into his eyes. " You have the chance to be right still, I hope you take it." She let go turning around and walking over to the wall sliding down it to sit on the ground.

He stood still, so still absorbing her words. Her words that made so much sense but he tried not to believe.

" Why are you telling me this Hermione?" He asked.

" I suppose I wanted it known what I had done." Her eyes were thoughtful. " I don't want to die a Saint, martyred for the cause. I want to be remembered as a person, with flaws and the ability to do evil things for good. I want to be remembered for me, not for my death." She said slowly putting meaning behind her every breath. " I want you to remember me when you forget yourself." She said. " That was my Death Report I guess. Now you can put a face to the killer." She laughed that bitter mirthless laugh again. "Who ever thought that on my list of accomplishments would be some of the most horrendous murders of this decade. God will love that." She said her grin not reaching her eyes.

He remained silent and only watched her, as her breath became deep and peaceful. Suddenly she laughed and it was the one he remembered from Hogwarts the way it filled a room. He eyed her warily a true smile that melted the ice of her eyes taking over her face.

" I'm not afraid Severus!" she exclaimed. " It feels marvelous." She whispered still smiling.

There was a harsh knock that startled Severus but Hermione remained smiling happily. The door opened and a man walked in glancing at Hermione in surprise, he nodded at Severus, the message was simple, ' he's ready.'

Severus walked over to Hermione, and was shocked when she stood on her own exiting the room silently the smile still plastered on her face. Outside her cell waited three other black robed men and she walked past them blatantly ignoring them. Her back was straight and her stride carefree and the men all glanced at each other in confusion. Severus caught up to her, walking slightly behind her, he could feel the happiness radiating off of her.

They passed other cells and the prisoners stood and came to their bars, reaching their hands out to let them skim her robes, and she kept on smiling that beautiful happy smile. They knew where she was going and that she wouldn't come back, but her tranquility seemed to soothe them and after she passed they faded back slightly. She had almost reached the end of the cells when a cheer went up, a deafening yell that came from every prisoner's mouth as they honored, the girl that would die for their beliefs.

Her arms rose to her sides like wings, but she did not turn around, her smile didn't fade as she reached the end of the hallway, and was lost from view.

A/N: Another sad story but I had inspiration so I ran with it. Originally meant to be much shorter with an angrier Hermione but I liked this ending more. Tell me what you thought.

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling


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